A diamond ring has been reunited with its grateful owner in Suffolk after accidentally being transported 80 miles away.
Radhika Ramasamy, a consultant anaesthetist at West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds, had put the ring in the pocket of her scrubs before giving a patient a spinal anaesthetic.
She didn't take the ring back out the pocket, and the clothing was then taken to the Royal Free Hospital (RFH) in Hampstead, London.
Suraj Shah, an anaesthetics registrar based at the RFH, discovered the ring in his newly-laundered green scrubs ahead of his shift on December 19.
The RFH facilities team contacted the laundry they use, and were shocked to hear Dr Ramasamy had reported a missing ring five days earlier.
Dr Shah said: "As I put the scrubs on something clattered to the floor and a colleague spotted the ring and alerted me.
"At first I thought maybe one of the nurses here had lost the ring and I put the word out through the nurse in charge. I checked with the doctors as well but nothing so I contacted our facilities team.
"I knew how downhearted my wife would be if she’d lost a ring that had sentimental value to her so that was in the back of my mind.
"As healthcare workers we often take off rings for procedures so it’s an easy mistake to make."
Dr Ramasamy was delighted she could be reunited with her ring, which was a birthday present from her husband several years ago.
She added: "I meant to put the ring back on afterwards but ended up doing another procedure and forgot about it.
"It wasn’t until the evening of the next day that I realised it was missing and then it was the weekend so I didn’t report it to my facilities team until the Monday.
"To be honest I never expected to get it back as I thought it would be crushed in the machinery at the laundry."
Dr Shah added: "It’s nice to feel part of a bit of a little miracle. I’m delighted the ring has been reunited with Radhika."
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